Final answer:
The main goal of a leader can be either instrumental or expressive. Instrumental leaders are goal-oriented, while expressive leaders focus on promoting emotional strength and support. Both types of leaders can be effective and preferred by both men and women.
Step-by-step explanation:
Leadership function refers to the main goal of the leader, which may be instrumental or expressive. An instrumental leader is one who is goal-oriented and largely concerned with accomplishing set tasks. In contrast, expressive leaders are more concerned with promoting emotional strength and health, and ensuring that people feel supported. Social and religious leaders-rabbis, priests, imams, directors of youth homes and social service programs-are often perceived as expressive leaders. Sometimes people expect men to take on instrumental roles and women to assume expressive roles. Women and men who exhibit the other-gender manner can be seen as deviants and can encounter resistance. Yet, both men and women prefer leaders who use a combination of expressive and instrumental leadership (Boatwright and Forrest, 2000).